B.C. sees slight increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and 27 new deaths

B.C.'s Centre for Disease Control says COVID-19 hospitalizations are up slightlyacross the province, thoughthe number of people requiring critical care is down somewhat.

The BCCDC reported 374 people in hospital with the virus on Thursday, a four per cent increase, and 31 patients in critical care down from 34 the week before.

In the week leading up to Dec. 10, 27 new deaths were reported among people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 30 days.

A total of 4,760 people in B.C. are suspected to have died of causes related to thecoronavirus since the pandemic began.

During that same week, the number of cases confirmed by a PCR test and reported by the province jumped to 659 up 22 per cent from the 539 reported the week prior.

The number of deaths, hospitalizations and reported cases can be revised retroactively, as the BCCDCand the provincial health ministry receiveupdated data from regional health authorities.

The actual number of cases in the province is believed to be much higher than what's presented by the BCCDC. The BCCDConly reportstests confirmed in a lab, and thosePCR tests arecurrently inaccessibleto the majority of British Columbians.

The centre says that the underestimation of cases has increased since the emergence of the Omicron variant, and in its most recent report, it says around 5,900 people were tested,with a positivity rate ofabout 12 per cent.

The BCCDC also monitors viral loads in wastewaterat five different watertreatment facilities in Metro Vancouver, which accountfor close tohalf of B.C's population, and saysSARSCoV2 viral loads are slowly increasing at all of the region's wastewater plants.

Rough flu season for children

B.C., much like the rest of Canada, continues to grapple with a so-called tripledemic as rising cases of COVID-19, flu and respiratory illnesses haveparticularly challenged children's hospitals, driving up wait times and crowding emergency rooms.

The province released its first weekly report tracking those respiratory diseases on Thursday. It says that influenza activity is still high, but no new flu-related deaths have been reported in children.

So far this year, six children have died of influenza-related causes.

Influenza A continues to be the most common virus detected in B.C., but test positivity rates are declining, the report says.

On Monday, the Canadian Press reported that the B.C. Children's Hospital was prepared to double bunk patients in single occupancy rooms as necessary to make more space for children needing care in hospital.

Provincial health authorities are strongly encouraging parents, caregivers and children over six months to get a flu shot and a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the holidays to try to avoid serious illness.